By Manoj Kumar Ojha
Guwahati: Heavy rainfall will lash Assam in coming days along with other northeastern states,IMD forecasts.
While most of the country has surprisingly witnessed excess rains so far this April, the northeastern sister states’ rainfall stats have been sorely lacking.
However, the region is in for some intense rainfall activity over the weekend that might help bring the numbers up to scratch.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), an atmospheric instability has made itself comfortable across the northeastern region. And this system is expected to bring lingering rains (and even snow at higher altitudes) accompanied by localised thunderstorms in the coming days.
More specifically, heavy rains (64.5 mm-115.5 mm) will lash Arunachal Pradesh between Thursday and Saturday (April 20-22) and Assam and Meghalaya on Friday and Saturday (April 21-22).
Further, scattered to fairly widespread showers of light to moderate intensity with thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds are all very likely over Northeast India during the next five days (April 20-24).
Other Northeastern states, including Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura, will be in for isolated showers on Thursday and widespread rains and thunderstorms on Friday,IMD said.
In view of these forecasts, a yellow watch has been issued over the entirety of Northeast India for the rest of this week, so as to urge the locals to ‘be updated’ about the inclement weather.
The precipitation activity might safeguard the region from the clutches of heatwave conditions that currently plague the East Indian states. But at the same time, any notable dip in mercury is also unlikely, with no major changes expected in the regional temperatures for the next five days.
What these rains will change are the rainfall stats for the Northeast. Between April 1 and 19, Arunachal Pradesh has recorded only 57.8 mm of rainfall — marking a ‘large deficit’ of 69% as compared to its long-term average for this time frame. In the same duration, Assam and Meghalaya saw 51.4 mm and N.M.M.T recorded 42.4 mm, registering deficits of 51% and 47%, respectively.